The word victim

May 23, 2013, admin, Media Complaints,

The word victim is problematic to me as it can so easily be used to insinuate a state of mind which contributes to the idea that targets are complicit in abuse. I have had experience of this both myself, and with my children regarding bullying.

The word victim has been used against me for ordinary flagging up of behaviours and against my child for reporting bullying.

I'm concerned about this for exactly the reason that this excellent campaign has been started, because those who are targets of abuse of any kind are most usually blamed, and any attempt to escape being victimised seems to increase that blame.

I have no problem with the word victimise as a verb describing the act of attacking people as it is very accurate - perpetrators are attempting to victimise their targets. I also understand that the insinuations people put onto the word victim are not necessarily in any way actually in the meaning of the word. Nevertheless the word seems problematic to me.

Thanks for addressing this important issue of blaming those being attacked and abused.

Language

‹ ‘Helpful’ Suggestions Women and girls shouldn’t go out at night. To avoid being raped. ›